If losing two officers would rock your agency, this conversation is a blueprint for stability. We sit down with Crestwood, Missouri’s Dion Olsen to explore how a 29-officer department recruits year-round, accelerates hiring without cutting corners, and turns culture into a real competitive edge. No fluff, just practical tactics you can adapt tomorrow.

Dion walks us through the long game: staying in touch with academy students and laterals, keeping a live database of prospects, and opening the door early with informal, low-pressure conversations that focus on mutual fit. Instead of hiding behind forms, he brings candidates inside the building to meet the chief, greet the shift, and feel the team dynamic. That authenticity draws people who want to matter fast and helps small agencies stand out against bigger paychecks.

We also dig into systems and speed. Dion explains how flexible scheduling, same-day interviews, and immediate background checks compress timelines responsibly. He shares how clear communication—texts, calls, quick updates—reduces drop-off, while smart spending on tools and workflows replaces wasteful tactics like billboards and empty career fairs. The result is a pipeline that can move from a job posting to a uniformed officer in training in 30 days, powered by trust, clarity, and process discipline.

Underneath it all is a mindset shift: recruiting isn’t scarce because candidates disappeared; it’s scarce when we cling to outdated steps. Treat candidates like customers. Make it mobile, fast, and respectful. Even those who go elsewhere will remember your agency as responsive and human, which pays future dividends. If you lead a small or mid-sized department, this is your playbook for building a resilient, relationship-driven hiring engine. Subscribe, share with your command staff, and leave a review with the one change you’re making after listening.

Safeguard Recruiting is owned and operated by first responders, and it is a public safety recruiting firm with a proven recruiting system that staffs agencies across the country.

Reach out today for a free consultation and learn about our guarantee that will increase the number of candidates for your agency.